1. Combine fruits, peel and brandy in a bowl. Beat butter and sugar together until pale. Add eggs, one a t a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add sifted flour, bicarbonate of soda and spice. Fold in undrained fruit, breadcrumbs and chopped almonds.

2. Spoon mixture into a well greased 8 cup pudding basin, allow room for rising. Cover with greased greasproof paper then foil. Tie with string, place on trivet or upturned saucer in a large saucepan. Pour boiling water to come up two thirds the sides of the pudding. Bring to boil and boil rapidly 5 - 6 hours, check water occasionally refilling as needed. Cool pudding completely and refrigerate.

On day of serving reheat pudding by cooking in the same way for one hour before needed.

Kyles, my West Indian friends with cooking influence from the English make a BLACK CAKE, they gave me the recipe, its so delicious. I know one gal who embalms this cake FOR A WHOLE YEAR before serving for Christmas. I'll post the BLACK CAKE recipe later tonight.

Grind the fruits and nuts.
Mix wine and rum and pour over fruit, soak a day or up to 3 months.
Grease and doubly line an 8 inch cake pan.
Cream sugar and margarine. Add eggs one at a time.
Add fruits and stir well. Add caramel to make it as dark as desired.
Sift flour and baking powder and spice together. Fold into mixture a little at a time. Mix to a soft dropping consistency using wine or rum.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake 300F 2 hours.
Pour wine and rum over cake IMMEDIATELY after cake is baked. Repeat 3 or 4 times.

CARAMEL: Heat sugar and when melted add wine. Simmer until dark color is obtained. CARAMEL may also be bought. This dark color of the "burnt sugar" is what makes the cake black.

Last year I did frosted sugar cookies, chocolate chip mint biscotti things (don't remember what they were called. I took a bad chocolate chip cookie recipe and smashed it into a cake pan, cooked, then cut into wedges--turned out surprisingly good), chocolate covered pretzels, mini pecan tarts...I think that's it.

I forgot to mention that this year, I'm boycotting cookies. I've decided to make all non-cookie stuff like scones, muffins, quick breads, etc.

Just for a change. It will be really hard not to try and bake cookies...the my one splurge is making a couple of ginger bread houses from scratch. :-) Last year I bought a kit from costco and just assembled and decorated the house.